Friday, August 9, 2013

When I first do a version of a classic dish like paella, I try
to use a minimum of number of ingredients and steps so we focus on the
technique. So, while you experienced paella makers will probably find this
quite unremarkable, it really is intended for the first-timer.

Real paella is not baked, but cooked on top of a fire, which
results in a similarly textured rice to what you see here, except a layer
caramelizes onto the bottom of the pan, and those gloriously crunchy bits are
considered the best part. So, basically I’m telling you we left out the best
part.

The trade-off is that this method eliminates most of the
finesse and monitoring required by the traditional method. Consider this a
gateway paella, and the first step to a serious, lifelong addiction. Besides
the method, ideally you’ll use a wider variety of ingredients; things like
clams, mussels, squid, chicken are all very commonly used, and will make your
rice that much more interesting.

No matter how you cook you paella, one thing you must try to
include is the saffron. Besides the short-grain rice, this is probably the most
key addition. Unfortunately, the flavor and aroma are almost impossible to
describe, so you really need to experience it yourself to fully understand.
I’ve heard it described using things like “earthy metallic honey,” and “rusty
champagne,” but these really don’t do it justice.

Anyway, if you’ve never tried to make paella before, I
really hope this inspires you to give it a go. The Arborio we use here is easy
to find in the big grocery stores, and as long as you stick to the liquid/rice
ratio, there’s not a lot that can go wrong. And like I said in the video, stay
tuned for my future attempt at a more classic version. In the meantime, I hope
you give this quick and easy paella a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 large portions:

(best to use a 12 or 13 inch wide skillet)

For the saffron broth:

2 tsp olive oil

reserved shrimp shells from 1 pound of jumbo shrimp

1/2 to 1 tsp saffron threads, depending on how strong you
want the flavor

2 1/4 cups chicken broth

*Simmer for 20 minutes, strain and reserve. Be sure to
season generously with salt, or your rice will be bland.

For the paella:

1 tbsp olive oil

8 oz sliced chorizo sausage, or any smoky, spicy sausage

1/2 yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/3 cup Arborio rice

1/2 cup green peas

1 tsp regular or smoked paprika, optional depending on how
much was in the sausage

2 cups (exactly) hot saffron broth, or just plain hot
chicken broth

1 pound peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp

1 sweet red pepper, cut into thin strips

salt and cayenne to taste

garnish top with a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil,
and freshly chopped Italian parsley

lemon wedges, optional (some love lemon, I prefer without,
but give it a try and see)

*Bake at 425 degrees F. for 20 minutes, then finish over
med-high flame until rice is just tender. It will be firm and slightly sticky.
Don’t burn it, but you can leave it on the flame a little longer to try and get
the rice to caramelize and crust onto the bottom of the pan, like the classic
version. Be careful.

54 comments:

Chef, this looks great...We don't all have the "real" equipment or even access to some of the ingredients of the traditional. So, a user-friendly paella is something i think we all need. Plus, as always, you crack me up! thank again!

I can't wait to make this Chef, thanks for the recipe. Since it's the middle of summer and the oven is strictly off limits until it cools off again, I'll wait until late October to make this. Until then my stomach will just rumble. If you would post a traditional paella that doesn't go in the oven then I could make it right now :) Cheers.

Ed's comment makes me wonder how well this dish would finish if it was cooked covered on the stove instead of in the oven, partly for the same reason he mentioned and partly because I don't have a large skillet that's oven-safe. I may just have to give it a try.

Look like it's time to head to the store, get some Saffron and finish this on the stove. It will be one of the dinner's this week. Can't wait to give it a try. Thanks to you Chef (of course) and CWR032 for asking.

Chef John, this recipe was PERFECT for a Sunday get-together between my parents and my friend and I. Between the four of us we polished it off in no time and barely had room for dessert (a pie based on your pie recipe, also came out well!)

We did find chorizo to be very oily, so we skimmed out some of the fat. The spices in the chorizo helped make the dish, though. Thank you!

Chef, do you think it'd be possible to par-cook brown rice for ~20 minutes and substitute that in for the arborio? Just typing that out seems kind of blasphemous, but I have all of the other ingredients at home minus regular white or arborio rice.

Great recipe, Chef John. My cooktop burners aren't working at the present, so I did the whole thing using the oven and a 15" cast iron pan. I left the pan in the oven as it preheated. It probably took a few minutes longer to assemble because I didn't have direct heat on the pan, but 20 minutes after I added the stock I had a wonderful paella with the crunchy bits. I can only assume this is because of preheating the pan and I toasted the arborio for a few minutes extra to account for the lack of direct heat.

I made this last night. The rice and veggies came out perfectly, but the shrimp was way dried out and tough. I may have sprinkled a bit of salt on top of the shrimp before going into the oven, would that account for drying them out so much?

glad I did a search first. I just bought what I thought was a deep dish pizza pan. I get home and on the bottom it has a sticker says its a paella pan. it has never been used. I hope your next recipe shows how to season it. but then again I don't think I can wait I'm going to try this recipe now. had no idea what a paella was until I saw this video. thanks for coming to my rescue rescue Chef John.

This is really delish! We altered the spices a little and added a jalapeño with the onions because we enjoy really spicy food but the technique is perfect. I never considered paella for a week night meal but this method made it schedule friendly. I also am surprised that I enjoyed the shrimp. Though it was dry, the flavor was intense. I think the shrimp shell saffron broth is a requirement. So good.

This was my food wish (I'm sure I wasn't the only one) and I never thanked you, so thank you! It's probably the only dish I can make without a recipe. In fact, it's on the stovetop right now! We have about three feet of snow, otherwise it would be on a fire in the backyard.

I so enjoy your videos and my family enjoys the results. I love to cook and you help me to be much better at it! Thanks!

It is a great recipe chef. The sausage and shrimp combination was so drooling that I was very tempted to try out the dish. I have tried out the dish with chicken cocktail sausage and believe me it has come out really well, infact finger licking good I would say.

Excellent dish and prep! Made it a few times and it works like a charm. Would like to know the rice and broth amounts for a 15 and 18 inch pan. Have only done it in a 12 inch Paella pan. Also I have found a local source for Calasparra rice and wonder if the ratios are the same as Arborio. Chef your videos are awesome!

Hi Chef! I've made this several times and it's delicious! Though I chop up little red chili peppers instead of red bell peppers (your constant use of cayenne has opened me up to spicy and I looooveee it) and often throw in clams or scallops when I have them. Yum! I was wondering if you can do this in a cast iron skillet instead of stainless steel? I want to make this for my parents when I go home and visit and they only have cast iron pans. Would I have to do anything differently?

Hi Chef John, I'm looking forward to making this next week - unfortunately my room-mate had the shopping duties this week and bought the raw form of chorizo in a plastic tube, how different is that from the form you have used (is the other kind smoked, dried, or just pre-cooked)? Could I and how would I substitute this form of chorizo instead? Do I just cook it and add it in? I don't think it would slice all that well since its so squishy in this state.If its not workable what would you suggest using the 'fresh' chorizo on?I appreciate any help and look forward to see your next food wish.

Do you have any tips for cutting up uncooked sausage? I always have issue, I have had tips but I always have issues. Maybe its just me, but I always end up ripping the skin or shmushing the sausage itself and all the meat coming out of the casing. Any tips?

I just returned from PuntaCana and fell in love with this dish, did a search and yours came up.Your recipe is amazing and authentic the flavours just as I remembered,I followed everything as you described where do I put the stars.

Made this dish 3 times. Awesome every time. Love your recipes. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! By the just got my first batch of SFQ a week ago. doing the winter ribs this weekend! So excited!AS from New York City.

I found this recipe by accident while searching the web and happened to have all the ingredients at hand. Your video and recipe are so easy to follow that it made me look like a great chef, this dish turned out so delicious I'll be trying out more of your recipes. Thanks Chef John

Hi Chef John, great recipe!I made this with a lean Italian Chicken Sausage and so I added some butter into the pan a bit of smoke paprika in mine. I did everything else the same way, instead I had some brown arborio rice instead of the regular white and I had to add a bit more liquid and cook it for longer. It turned out great, and will make this again in the future.However, where is that classic version that you promised here? :D

I have never made paella, and so I decided to try this easy version. I did exactly what the recipe said--I even bought a new 12-inch cast iron skillet. I know, it's not a paella pan, but I can use it for other things. When it came out of the oven, it was so beautiful--I had to take a picture of it. It was hard to believe I could make such a beautiful paella on my first try. After the photo session, my family and I sat down to a feast of rice, shrimp, chorizo, and veggies. It was so delicious!! I have had many rice dishes over my life--risotto, rice pilaf, Spanish rice, rice in gumbo, rice in sushi, my mom's Rice-a-roni, basmati rice at Indian restaurants--you get the picture. BUT, this was the best rice I have ever had. It was so flavorful and cooked to perfection!! I really appreciate how this recipe is so accessible to the home cook living 5,000 miles away from Spain. I will definitely make this recipe again!! Thank you for giving me a little piece of Spanish culture!